These are my beauty issues: any specific recommendations please?

[BranchingOut]

1. My skin is pretty good for my age (touch wood) so I don’t wear foundation or anything. But by the late afternoon my forehead is shining and it makes my eyes sting.

2. Eyeshadow seems to disappear from my eyelids! This may be connected to #1.

3. I would like a traditional eyeliner pencil that is actually a pencil, rather than a rip-off fake pencil - looking at you, Boots No 7! Ideally brown or grey.

4. I think I would like something to put on my cheeks but need it to be very, very easy.

5. Exactly what colour eyeshadow should I wear for an average day? I have lovely blue eyes.

Many thanks!

I’ll opt for #2 - you need an eyeshadow primer so your powder eyeshadow has something to grip to. I’m sure others will come along and make their own suggestions, but the best one for me is MAC Paint Pot in Painterly. Technically it’s a cream eyeshadow but lots of make influencers / makeup artists use it as a primer as the shadow is largely skin colour (obviously depending on your skin tone!).

I’ll give #1 and #4 a go too. Maybe an oil control moisturiser or oil control BB cream to help the shine? For #4 a light blush, I use dandelion from Benefit (not a huge fan of their products, but this colour suits me)

I have brown eyes and find that blue or grey eye shadow looks best, so maybe you should give brown a go.

Some thoughts from me;
No 2...try a primer. For me it's Urban Decay. I can put on eyeshadow over this at 7.00 am and it's still looking good at 7.00pm.
No 3... again I use Urban Decay eyeliner pencils and really rate them. A cheaper option is GOSH from Superdrug.
No 5... I have blue eyes (quite dark blue) and tend to go towards browns, especially rusty shades. I also like a grey/purple.

Many thanks - so it would be these... I have put the links to see if I am getting the right thing!

Obviously to buy it all would be ££, are any purchases better than others? Any dupes?

mac painterly

urban decay primer

eye pencil

benefit dandelion

estee lauder bb

this kind of brown shade?

Maybe a very light mineral powder? a quick sweep with a big soft brush to tame forehead shine.

With eye shadow depending on your colouring, a pallet with a gold and a bronze (to bring out the blue eyes) as well as different browns, plus a lighter natrual skin colour (matched a shade or two lighter to your eye area colour) to be used to highlight just under the eyebrow.

Thought I would add my tuppence worth!

1. You can wear a mattifying primer without foundation and it will help the texture, oiliness of your skin. I like Estée Lauder The Smoother, but I use Estée Lauder foundation so I buy them together more out of habit/laziness, I haven’t tried every option going! But it’s nice, lasts all day and doesn’t affect my skin. Body Shop do a similar primer but it broke me out in blemishes.

2. Estée Lauder again, the eyeshadow base - they only do the one so will depend on skin tone but I find the colour isn’t very strong as it’s more about the base than the tone (I’m very pale, neutral white skin). I have also used the Laura Mercier Eye basics which has a wider range of shades however I found that it creased somewhat and wasn’t as mattifying.

3. I second the Urban Decay pencils, they’re my favourite by far and very soft on the eyelid, I’ve given up on others. However a lot of their tones do have a tiny bit of glitter/metallic to them - it’s not obvious on wearing them, especially as it’s only eyeliner, but some people don’t like that at all. Personally I think they’re great and I wear very neutral/natural make up always.

4. I would also recommend Nars blusher. ‘Orgasm’ is a favourite for many, I also like ‘Deep Throat’ (hate the names!). You would need to buy a blusher brush if you don’t already have one.

I’m no help on the eyeshadow front, I only wear it for being dressy and when I do, I use a palette (like Urban Decay Naked) and use several different natural tones. IMO eyeshadow looks much better when you blend with different tones, eg medium shade all over, darker in crease, light tone on centre of lid and arch of brow, then buff.

Forgot to add, I particularly like Urban Decay pencils in brown - Hustle, Bourbon and Underground. Hustle is my all time favourite. Bourbon is more chocolatey brown.

Those are the ones OP

For MAC Painterly, pop into a counter and ask for a sample - they’ll probably put a small amount in a mini pot for you to try. For me a pot lasts about 8/10 months, wearing five days a week to work, plus some evening / weekend use.

You can get a mini size of Dandelion from Benefit counters in Boots etc for £10 to try. Again, lasts me ages - about two years currently!

Links are spot on...tbh I've never found any eye pencil as good as the Urban Decay one's and my choice is Bourbon.
GOSH @ Superdrug aren't bad and over the primer might work for you.

Eyeshadow colour's? A decent palette is NYX Lid Lingerie, it's around £9/10 for six shades.
Another I use is Camel by Bobbie Brown.